The field of robotics has seen great advances. Many robotic devices include hand-like grippers or jaws to simulate the activities performed by a human hand, such as gripping and picking up objects.
Many robotic hand-like devices include a plurality of opposed fingers. The fingers are driven mechanically using only unyielding, rigid components. Thus, if the fingers are unable to make contact with an object, the holding ability is compromised, and the robotic device fails to perform the job it was intended to do.
Accordingly, new robotic devices are continuously being sought to more closely replicate anthropomorphic characteristics of the human hand. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0144770 (hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein) shows a “One Motor Finger Mechanism” having a plurality of phalanges coupled to a single actuator using kinematic linkage and a differential linkage that allow the phalanges to curl to conform to an object when gripping.